Amaechi Challenges Oshiomhole to Present Academic Certificates After ‘Shallow’ Remark

Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi has challenged Senator Adams Oshiomhole to make his academic certificates public after the former Edo State governor described him as shallow and unreliable.

Amaechi issued the challenge during an interview on Rapid TV while responding to Oshiomhole’s recent criticism of his political positions and credibility.

Oshiomhole had accused Amaechi of contradicting his previous positions by criticising the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu after previously supporting the party. He also questioned Amaechi’s relationship with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, recalling that the former Rivers governor had previously challenged Atiku’s emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate.

Reacting, Amaechi said he was disappointed by Oshiomhole’s comments, insisting that they were political equals who served as state governors at the same time.

He cited his academic qualifications, saying he held degrees in Law and Literature, as well as master’s degrees in both fields. He also mentioned a certificate from the University of London, a master’s degree from King’s College London and an ongoing master’s programme in Global Political Economy.

Amaechi challenged Oshiomhole to present his own certificates, questioning the basis for describing him as shallow.

The former governor also recalled that Oshiomhole was among the governors who elected him chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, asking why the senator would now question his intellectual capacity.

He maintained that Oshiomhole was not his subordinate, noting that both men had served as governors and should be regarded as political equals.

Amaechi also linked Oshiomhole’s criticism to his role in the former Edo governor’s removal as APC national chairman. He alleged that he led the group that worked against Oshiomhole’s continued leadership of the party because, in his view, he was incapable of managing it.

Oshiomhole had also questioned Amaechi’s credibility by recalling his previous criticism of Atiku. He claimed that Amaechi had described the PDP primary that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate as fraudulent and had challenged the outcome in court.

The senator further alleged that Amaechi changed his position after Atiku approached him to work together.

Responding to allegations that his administration mismanaged public funds and abandoned projects in Rivers State, Amaechi questioned why Oshiomhole had waited 12 years to make such accusations.

He said the allegations were not raised when he left office or in the years immediately following his tenure, describing the claims as false.

Amaechi, however, said he would not respond to Oshiomhole again, adding that the senator was free to continue making whatever allegations he wished.